LibraryLinkNJ News

Welcome back! (sort of...)

Like many of you, LibraryLinkNJ has been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Staff had to work from home, programs were curtailed, we worried about what twists in life were next. In addition to that, in the last year LLNJ also moved its offices: after 35 years in Piscataway, we are now sharing space at the Talking Book and Braille Center in Ewing.

And, we are changing executive directors - again. The new person starting in July will be the third ED -- not counting two interim executive directors -- since 2019. So, life here has not been “normal” (whatever that is).

We are getting back into the swing of things, though. For example, this newsletter, which went on hiatus due to staff cutbacks a few years back, has now resumed publication. We will be showing up in your inbox monthly (at least), highlighting upcoming events and new services of interest to you, with links to our website and details for participation.

You will be pleased to know that our financial situation seems more stable now, so we are able to resume programs which we used to offer. With new staff in place, you will be seeing more training and CE opportunities, as well as opportunities to get together virtually on topics that our membership wants. Even in-person gatherings will be resumed.

We will be making some announcements about the continuation of delivery services soon - no surprises are planned. And, as we look forward to the fiscal year that begins on July 1, we will get serious about planning for the future, and listening to what the membership wants from its statewide library cooperative.

So, library life at LibraryLinkNJ is coming back, as fast as we can make it happen. To get in the mix and have a voice, please come to the annual membership meeting on Wednesday June 9. Watch for registration information and details about budgets, bylaws and board elections in the coming weeks, and be a participant in how we serve you..

W. Keith McCoy

Interim Executive Director

The next Library LibraryNJ Executive Board Meeting will take place virtually on Thursday, May 20th at 2:30 pm. All LibraryLinkNJ members are welcome to attend.

Zoom meeting links, Board packets, and approved minutes from past meetings

Skillsharing Conversations are one-hour, virtual conversations on relevant library topics. Each conversation will follow an agenda and will be moderated by one of our talented colleagues, providing a great opportunity for the NJ Library community to learn and grow together. All LibraryLinkNJ members are welcome to attend.

• Podcasts: Friday, May 21, 10am-11am Read More
  
• Virtual Storytimes:Friday, June 11, 10:30-11:30am Read More
  
• Serving People with Low Vision, Physical Disability, or who are Deaf: Tuesday, June 22nd, 10am-11am Read More
  

MentorNJ, in collaboration with the NJ State Library, LibraryLinkNJ, NJLA’s Public Relations Committee, Professional Development Committee and Leadership and Education Subcommittee, would like to acknowledgMentorNJ, in collaboration with the NJ State Library, LibraryLinkNJ, NJLA’s Public Relations Committee, Professional Development Committee and Leadership and Education Subcommittee, would like to acknowledge and recognize the contributions by libraries and their staff to our communities by hosting this Mega event.

Please mark this event on your calendar and join us to relax and laugh together!e and recognize the contributions by libraries and their staff to our communities by hosting this Mega event.

Date: Friday, May 14, 2021

Time: 10:00am-12:00pm

Location: Online via Zoom

Read More

What Are They? Online Meet-ups via Zoom

This is the time and place to discuss your concerns, share your ideas, and “hang out” with your colleagues. We can discuss a particular topic or just chat about what this crazy life is like for library staff serving their customers during this pandemic era. Read More

Our Super Library Supervisors Series kicked off on April 19th and is running fully virtually for the first time ever! Our two identical tracks allow for 70 total participants to learn the ins and outs of supervision with such topics as “What It Means to Be a Supervisor,” “Resolving Staff Conflict,” “Defining Your Mission” and more. The series will conclude May 19th, at which time participants will be prepared to tackle supervisory challenges with the confidence in their new skills! Visit the Super Library Supervisor page on our website for more details, including a full list of topics, and keep an eye out for future sessions of SLS for yourself or your staff! Read More

Are you having trouble keeping track of multiple browser tabs? Google Chrome's tab grouping feature can help!

Text Instructions: Keep Tabs on Your Tabs in Google Chrome

YouTube Video: Tab Groups in Google Chrome from Teacher's Tech

The Pequannock Township Public Library aims to provide free and equal access to materials, information, technology, cultural and educational experiences, and resources in order to educate, inform, and empower all of its community members.

Our service area consists of two communities, Pequannock and Pompton Plains, New Jersey.

The town's area is just less than seven square miles. According to U.S. Census Data, approximately 15,540 people live in Pequannock. Cedar Crest, a local retirement community, is home to 1,500 of those residents (Township of Pequannock, 2015). The median age is 46.2. Pequannock Township can be described as suburban, primarily residential community located approximately thirty miles from New York City.

Fun fact: When our Library began fundraising for a new building in the 1990's, we created a mascot called Bookman (pictured above).

The purpose of NJ Statewide Diversity Resources Online is to provide a dynamic place where libraries can find and share diversity resources and programs.

Featured Topic:

Ethnic Communities

On April 16, 2020, the LibraryLinkNJ (LLNJ) Executive Board established a new task force on COVID-19, and charged the task force to explore issues, strategies, and solutions, relative to the reopening of libraries post COVID-19.

The Task Force works in collaboration with the New Jersey State Library (NJSL), the New Jersey Library Association (NJLA), and other pertinent efforts that benefit New Jersey libraries in the post COVID-19 environment.

Documents

The 2021 NJLA Conference with the theme of All In: Accessibility, Equity, and Inclusiveness, will take place virtually on June 3 & June 4. Read More

The 2021 ALA Conference & Exhibition will take place virtually from June 23-June 29. Read More

LibraryLinkNJ: Moving Forward Together

LibraryLinkNJ (formerly known as INFOLINK) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. Its members are multi-type libraries and library-related agencies located in the twenty-one counties of New Jersey. This area includes 8.79 million people. The population of the state is highly diverse and includes some of the largest communities of Spanish speaking and Asian Indian persons in the U.S.

LibraryLinkNJ – The New Jersey Library Cooperative has over 1100 voting representatives from over 2,500 public and private school, public, academic, institutional, corporate, health sciences and special libraries and library-related agencies. A member-elected Executive Board meets regularly to oversee the programs and services of the organization.

LibraryLinkNJ and its services are funded by the New Jersey State Library, which is responsible for the coordination, promotion and funding of the New Jersey Library Network. Members join at no charge and pay no dues.

Email: info@librarylinknj.org
Website: www.librarylinknj.org
Location: 2300 Stuyvesant Avenue, Ewing Township, NJ, USA
Phone: 732-752-7720
Facebook: facebook.com/librarylinknj
Twitter: @librarylinknj